Advice on pressure wound gauge…

[Robert Udell]

Hi all
Always disliked any string beside the Roto sound round wounds. But… always willing to experiment. I have a 1996 Ric 4003, for giggles gonna try the pressure wounds. Any gauge suggestion from the forum?

 

[GTHintz]

I would try the roto solobass first and get the same gauges you normally play.

 

[michael_t]

Hi all
Always disliked any string beside the Roto sound round wounds. But… always willing to experiment. I have a 1996 Ric 4003, for giggles gonna try the pressure wounds. Any gauge suggestion from the forum?

What gauges do you normally use for Rotosound rounwound?

When you talk about trying the "pressurewound", are you specifically referring to the GHS Pressurewounds? Or, Roto's own stainless steel "pressurewound" called Solo Bass 55?

 

[Robert Udell]

Gonna try the GHS pressure wounds. Arriving tomorrow

 

[michael_t]

Gonna try the GHS pressure wounds. Arriving tomorrow

Which set did you order?

 

[Robert Udell]

Forgot , the lightest gauge GHS pressure wounds

 

[michael_t]

Forgot , the lightest gauge GHS pressure wounds

The lightest set would be 40-54-76-96. That's what I use. When you asked for advice on gauges, I was going to suggest the ML7200 (44-58-80-102) as a good starting point, but you didn't even wait for my response.

 

[Timothy Brosnan]

If you go with Ken Smith Compressors, you can also get
.040 .058 .076 .096
Or
.040 .058 .080 .102 (you can build this set with GHS, if you buy singles.)

 

[michael_t]

If you go with Ken Smith Compressors, you can also get
.040 .058 .076 .096
Or
.040 .058 .080 .102 (you can build this set with GHS, if you buy singles.)

I have the KS Compressors 40-58-80-102-125T on my Yamaha BB435 and like them as well.

 

[Robert Udell]

Ok, put the pressure wounds on, I like the feel on the fingers and less wear on the fretboard. But the tone is kind of bugging me. Solution? Maybe only use Roundwounds for recording and playing live?

 

[michael_t]

Ok, put the pressure wounds on, I like the feel on the fingers and less wear on the fretboard. But the tone is kind of bugging me. Solution? Maybe only use Roundwounds for recording and playing live?

Alloy 52 (nickel-iron) has its own unique tonal character, which is not for everyone or every bass. I like the Pressurewounds on my Jazz but not so much on my Precision. Maybe they're not for your Ric.

As suggested earlier by @GTHintz, Rotosound has their own "pressurewound" called Solo Bass 55, which is stainless steel instead of nickel-iron alloy. You might like their tone better.

 

[michael_t]

But the tone is kind of bugging me...

What exactly is it about the tone of PWs that's bugging you? Too much mids, maybe...?

 

[Robert Udell]

I only played them briefly last night, maybe I will warm up to them. the E string sounds kind of dead. They play great and feel wonderful, but, seem a bit dull.

 

[michael_t]

I only played them briefly last night, maybe I will warm up to them. the E string sounds kind of dead. They play great and feel wonderful, but, seem a bit dull.

What I like about PWs is how they sit in a band mix, not necessarily how they sound all on their own.

 

[GTHintz]

I only played them briefly last night, maybe I will warm up to them. the E string sounds kind of dead. They play great and feel wonderful, but, seem a bit dull.

I recommended solo bass rotos because being all steel they should be a little brighter. Ken Smith Compressors might be brighter too but it would be because of being all stainless steel. I like a little bit of life in my strings too. Full range, punchy, thick sounding and enough attack that Im not forcing it and digging too hard trying to get that snappy Geddy Lee like tone. Been a Rush fan forever and that playing is burned into my dna at this point.

 

[micguy]

Alloy 52 (nickel-iron) has its own unique tonal character, which is not for everyone or every bass. I like the Pressurewounds on my Jazz but not so much on my Precision. Maybe they're not for your Ric.

There are nickel iron strings that are much brighter than Pressurewounds - Kalium makes some, for example. It's the geometry of the windings, not the alloy, that makes Pressurewounds sound different - there's more contact between layers than on a round wound, but less than a flat. My bet is that the alloy is chosen for pressurewounds because that metal crushes into an oval shape easily, not for its sonic character. If you doubt that it's the geometry that makes the difference, consider that most flats are made with stainless windings, and ...they're not at all bright.

As to the original question, as Pressurewounds pack more metal into a given diameter than a string with round windings, they take a bit more tension to get up to pitch than what a round of that diameter would - for similar tension, you want a smaller diameter string than you would normally use in a round.

 

[michael_t]

There are nickel iron strings that are much brighter than Pressurewounds - Kalium makes some, for example. It's the geometry of the windings, not the alloy, that makes Pressurewounds sound different - there's more contact between layers than on a round wound, but less than a flat. My bet is that the alloy is chosen for pressurewounds because that metal crushes into an oval shape easily, not for its sonic character. If you doubt that it's the geometry that makes the difference, consider that most flats are made with stainless windings, and ...they're not at all bright.

As to the original question, as Pressurewounds pack more metal into a given diameter than a string with round windings, they take a bit more tension to get up to pitch than what a round of that diameter would - for similar tension, you want a smaller diameter string than you would normally use in a round.

I'm currently trying out the Rotosound Ultramags, which are Alloy 52 roundwound. They do sound different from either stainless steel rounds or nickel-plated steel rounds. So the nickel-iron alloy DOES have a unique tonal character of its own.

What makes the GHS Pressurewound even more unique is the way they're "rollerwound". So it's the combination of both the alloy and the winding process.